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CITGO "Great Gas Giveaway" a Hit

Petroleum marketer to give away $1 million in CITGO Cash Cards by the end of the summer.

August 21, 2005, 08:00 pm

HOUSTON -- Kicked off on July 2, CITGO's Great Gas Giveaway has been sweeping the country this summer, and by the end of the promotion on Sept. 5, will have given 80,000 customers CITGO Cash Cards totaling $1 million, the company reported.

Four Prize Patrol crews are driving around the country in CITGO-branded Suburbans, making stops at various CITGO retail locations as well as community events and attractions.

"Not only are we surprising customers every day when the Prize Patrol makes a stop, but we're also surprising our local CITGO owners -- they have no idea if or when a Prize Patrol could pull onto their lot," said Geoff Smith, CITGO's manager of sponsorship marketing and sales promotion.

The first 74 customers to visit a Prize Patrol stop are guaranteed an instant prize through a random drawing conducted at each location. The crew distributes $1,000 per stop via CITGO Cash Cards, which are good for gas as well as anything sold at CITGO retail locations. Each card prize is preloaded with a specific dollar amount, ranging from $5 to $100.

In addition to the Prize Patrol stops, in participating locations, customers can win gas prizes by participating in the CITGO Great Gas Giveaway Sweepstakes. One thousand winners will be selected via mail-in entries they can pick up at their local CITGO station. Customers can also enter online at www.citgo.com. A year’s worth of gas (up to $1,200) will be awarded to 50 grand-prize winners.

"This is our second year for the Great Gas Giveaway promotion, and the response, once again, has been overwhelming," said Smith. "Our retail owners are thrilled after a Prize Patrol visit. Several store owners have shared with me that there is barely enough room to fit all of the customers' cars on the lot during a Prize Patrol stop."

A new twist to the Great Gas Giveaway this year is the Sur-Prize Patrol stops.

"The Prize Patrol crews are targeting stops at local events and roadside attractions along the way, which is allowing us to extend the CITGO brand outside of the retail locations," said Smith.

One Prize Patrol crew stopped outside of Chicago's Wrigley Field prior to an afternoon baseball game and distributed $1,000 worth of CITGO Cash Cards. This allows CITGO to drive traffic and excitement back to any CITGO retailer in the area even if they don't get an on-lot event, the company reported. By the end of the promotion, the crew will have stopped at 1,000 CITGO locations and approximately 40 roadside attractions.

"At CITGO, we’re all about helping our customers get where they want to go," said Smith. "The Great Gas Giveaway is another example of this commitment. That’s why folks count on CITGO for the road ahead."